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Israel's Larger Purpose

(Washington Post) David Harris - In his Aug. 1 column, Max Boot said his larger outlook toward Israel has been changed by the policies of Israel's current government. Yet Israel's larger purpose remains to allow Jews to live as a majority population in one country on Earth, continue the millennia-long connection between the ancient land and the Jewish people, and control their own destiny, including immigration. Families like Mr. Boot's were able to leave the Soviet Union in the 1970s because they declared their intention to live in Israel. Without that declaration, their exit might well have been blocked. The same Israel that helped them leave, even though Mr. Boot's family ended up heading for the U.S. after arrival in the West, is the same Israel that today is providing a sanctuary to Jews fleeing tyranny in the Russian Federation, war against Ukraine, and rising antisemitism in Europe and elsewhere - while continuing to be the most progressive nation in the Middle East and a staunch U.S. ally. The rebirth of a Jewish state in 1948, after 1,878 years of forced exile, was an extraordinary event in world history. 75 years later, it remains extraordinary. The writer was chief executive of the American Jewish Committee from 1990 to 2022.
2023-08-07 00:00:00
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